Transnational Twist: Pecuniary Remittances and the Socioeconomic Integration of Authorized and Unauthorized Mexican Immigrants in Los Angeles County

Abstract

Annual U.S.‐Mexico pecuniary remittances are estimated to have more than doubled recently to at least $10 billion ‐ augmenting interest among policymakers, financial institutions, and transnational migrant communities concerning how relatively poor expatriate Mexicans sustain such large transfers and the impact on immigrant integration in the United States. We employ the 2001 Los Angeles County Mexican Immigrant Residency Status Survey (LAC‐MIRSS) to investigate how individual characteristics and social capital traditionally associated with integration, neighborhood context, and various investments in the United States influenced remitting in 2000. Remitting is estimated to have been inversely related to conventional integration metrics and influenced by community context in both sending and receiving areas. Contrary to straight‐line assimilation theories and more consistent with a transnational or nonlinear perspective, however, remittances are also estimated to have been positively related to immigrant homeownership in Los Angeles County and negatively associated with having had public health insurance such as Medicaid.

The Early-Morning Phonecall: Remittances from a Refugee Diaspora Perspective

“…Similarly, the effects of remitting on senders have been largely overlooked. There is research and policy interest in whether transnationalism hinders migrants' structural and socio-cultural integration in the host country, but few have tested this in relation to remittances (an example is Marcelli and Lowell 2005). Despite anecdotal evidence of migrants working long hours in several jobs to send money, the repercussions of remitting for migrants remain under-researched.…”

Realizing the Development Potential of Diasporas

“…The degree of integration and success in the host society contributes to diasporans' capacity to contribute and also influences a d iasporan's sense of efficacy (Brinkerhoff 2008). For example, in the Mexican diaspora community in Los Angeles, home ownership is positively correlated to remittances, whereas public assistance is not (Marcelli and Lowell 2005). Contrary to conventional wisdom, contributions to the homeland are not a short-term phenomenon of relatively new arrivals.…”

“…2 Some studies find that remittances may decline with increases in income, as Marcelli and Lowell (2005) found for Mexicans in Los Angeles and Du et al (2005) found among remitters to the poor in China. Relatedly, the highly skilled are not necessarily the highest remitters (Faini 2006;.…”

“…These include hometown associations, which may be active in improving the quality of life in both homeland and host land. Generally, participation in community organizations may be associated with remitting behaviour (Marcelli and Lowell 2005). Diaspora organizations are highly varied; most tend to be volunteer based and relatively unsophisticated, and they achieve results, if any, on small scales through very personalized networks.…”

Migrants’ Multi-Sited Social Lives

“…Based on this idea, it is possible to argue for a "zero-sum" relationship between integration and homeland engagement. Conversely, transnational migration theory suggests that there may be a more positive association between integration in the host country and engagement in the homeland because they are separate yet compatible processes (Marcelli and Lowell, 2005;Levitt, 2008;Levitt and Lamba-Nieves, 2011). In line with the transnational perspective, several researchers have concluded early on that, in the North American context, migrants who are well integrated in the host country also cultivate relations with the home country (Itzigsohn and Saucedo, 2002;Guarnizo et al, 2003;Portes et al, 2003;Tamaki, 2011).…”